


Occupational Hazard

by kalopsia (girltalk)



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Established Relationship, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-25
Updated: 2012-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4549134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girltalk/pseuds/kalopsia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dating the office boss comes with the realisation that Sungkyu actually does suck at anything that doesn't involve paperwork. Let alone romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Occupational Hazard

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on livejournal [here](http://kalopsia.livejournal.com/4885.html)!

The problem was that nobody, and Dongwoo means _nobody_ , in the office particularly liked Sungkyu. He was the one who Sungyeol and Sungjong would whisper and snark about near the water cooler. From their schoolgirl insults you’d think Sungkyu’s greatest crime was coming to work in a leopard print tie, but really, the office’s issue with Sungkyu mostly stemmed from the fact that—

“He has a stick. Up his ass,” Woohyun enunciates.

Dongwoo nods solemnly and sips his coffee. “It is a nice ass though,” he mourns.

Hoya snickers and places a comforting hand on Dongwoo’s shoulder. “I don’t see what the big deal is really.”

“The big deal, Hoya,” Sungjong states, walking towards them, “is that if anyone else knows about this ‘affair’, the entire office will make Dongwoo an outcast.”

Hoya snorts at Dongwoo’s fear stricken face. “He’s just exaggerating,” he assures, squeezing Dongwoo’s shoulder.

“No I’m not. The entire office will shun him. I know, because I will be one of them.” Sungjong narrows his eyes at Dongwoo. “Don’t make me pretend to judge you.”

Dongwoo swallows, knowing full well that Sungjong’s threat-thinly-veiled-as-concern carried gravity. If the guy who’s dating the ever-reviled office boss isn’t made an exile, then who is? He’s pretty sure the day he comes to work carrying two cups of Chai Late, one for him, one for Sungkyu, will be the day he hits rock bottom on the office food chain. Only above Myungsoo, who was essentially a non-entity anyway.

“I’m still having trouble processing this. I mean… _why?_ Dongwoo,” Woohyun begins, “I dated him for two years when we went to College together. His baggage could weigh down a Boeing 747—“

“I _know_. Have you _seen_ his leopard prints!” Sungjong exclaims. “The guy obviously has some serious issues—“

“Who has issues?” asks Sungkyu, stepping into the room and simultaneously destroying any surviving waves of positive energy.

“No one,” Woohyun says. The rest of them nod in creepy unison.

Sungkyu gives them all an odd look, but dismisses the tense silence suffocating the room as being just one of the many other tense silences which suffocated the room on a daily basis. “Well alright,” he says, “your lunch break is over in five minutes by the way. Sungjong, I want those receipts on my desk organized and labelled by the end of the day. Howon, those boxes aren't going to ship themselves.”

Dongwoo waits patiently, sipping his coffee casually and ignoring the pointed and slightly smug look he knows Woohyun is giving him. If there was anyone Dongwoo completely regrets confiding in, then it was Woohyun with his snide little comments and general fuckery. Dongwoo doesn’t dislike the guy, but a friend in need to Woohyun was essentially just a friend in need of constant ribbing.

“Woohyun, I’m pretty sure I fired you last month.” Sungkyu furrows his eyebrows.

Woohyun shrugs, folding his arms behind his head. “I’m pretty sure you did too.”

Sungkyu blinks disbelievingly, and the tightening of his jaw is almost audible. “Well, get out.”

Woohyun shrugs, infuriatingly nonchalant. “I’m not working so I don’t see the problem.”

Sungkyu shakes his head, sighing and putting his coat up on the hanger before walking back towards his office. Through sheer willpower Woohyun had somehow managed to deplete Sungkyu’s tolerance towards him to essentially nothing. If some kind of incentive wasn’t reached in the first three minutes of their conversation, then Sungkyu just didn’t bother anymore.

“Sungkyu!” Dongwoo calls. He tries not to look or sound too earnest when Sungkyu turns back towards him. Of course he fails, and his voice goes up a few octaves when he asks, “Do you need my paperwork anytime soon?” Hoya tries to hide his snicker into his arm, Woohyun doesn’t try at all and guffaws into his coffee.

There is no knowing smile on Sungkyu’s face, or a hint of affection in his eyes when he promptly replies, “The sooner the better, obviously.” It sounds very literal, and Dongwoo is rather disappointed. He thought him and Sungkyu were at that ambiguous undefinable stage in their relationship where they would speak in code.

Sungkyu tightens his tie. “I hope that answers your question,” he adds.

Wait, was that code? Is Sungkyu really concerned with answering Dongwoo’s question? Dongwoo cocks his head to the side, just in case Sungkyu’s eyes were really saying _”I love you dude. You are important to me. Also, Woohyun is an ass and I would give you a pay raise if you set his car on fire.”_ His eyes were narrowed and focused, intensive, passionate—

“Sungjong, fill up the water cooler,” Sungkyu snaps.

“But—“

“Sungjong, fill up the water cooler,” Woohyun reinstates. Hoya echoes his sentiments from beside him.

Dongwoo sighs. Well, at least everyone could see eye to eye on one thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite carrying the Assistant Regional Manager position, Dongwoo wasn’t sure he really existed in Sungkyu’s (relevant) reality till maybe a few months ago. June to be specific. June 15th to be more specific. He suspected before that Sungkyu kind of favoured him simply _because_ he was Assistant Regional Manager, and that automatically made him better than everyone else, which was why he’d given Dongwoo the desk near the air conditioner. Other than that though, before 1:10am June 15th, they’d shared little apart from light conversations and forced laughter.

On June 14th one of their companies shipments was accused of hosting a family of cane toads. Both Sungkyu and Dongwoo stayed back hunched over filling out forms for the Quarantine Inspection Service and fostering bad posture as they endeavoured to clean up the mess. By the time all the loose ends were knotted together in a shambolic clump, it was 1:10am and they’d dragged their heavy feet towards the elevator trying to resist the urge to simply collapse.

Okay, the last bit was a lie. Dongwoo didn’t even try resisting. As soon as the elevator doors opened he’d fallen face first onto the tiles and wriggled towards the door. At least, until Sungkyu’s foot pressed against his back and he looked up between sweaty bangs at his boss’ unimpressed features.

“Are you going to drive home?” Sungkyu asked him, lips twisted into a disapproving frown.

Dongwoo rubbed his eyes. “Yeah? There’s no other way.”

Sungkyu had looked thoughtful for a second, a strange, foreign look on him, before offering a hand towards Dongwoo and pulling him up. “You look like you’re about to collapse. Come on,” he’d assured, “I’ll drive you home.”

Dongwoo must have been extremely deluded in his sleep-deprived state, because he must have told Sungkyu to not bother to go home after he’d dropped him off. There was no other explanation to when he woke up groggy at 7am with a well-rested Sungkyu in his kitchen waiting with two cups of coffee. They drove back to the office at 7:30am, thankfully before the masses arrived.

“Thanks for that,” Dongwoo said later in the day when passing Sungkyu the shipment details, “and sorry. You must have been really exhausted if you couldn’t go back home.”

Sungkyu simply skimmed through the papers without looking up and replied, “Nah, I was okay. You left your car at the Office, I stayed over to give you a drive back.”

Dongwoo blinked, taken aback and left in a state of shock at Sungkyu’s sudden compassion. This was, after all, pretty much uncharted territory. “Oh yeah, gee thanks—“

“I could _not_ have you late for work. That’d be unacceptable.” Sungkyu finished. Of course.

Dongwoo nodded awkwardly and returned to his desk that Hoya had stolen in his absence, something that was a semi-ritual during summer when the air conditioner was in demand.

“This day is weird,” Dongwoo remarked.

Hoya shifted a little in Dongwoo’s seat. “Sorry man. You don’t know what it’s like in the warehouse. Surrounded by oil and boxes with no fucking air conditioning—“

Dongwoo shook his head, grabbing another chair and pulling it up next to Hoya. “No.” He looked around cautiously; making sure there were no possible eavesdroppers in their general vicinity before leaning in to whisper into Hoya’s ear. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

Hoya nodded eagerly.

“Sungkyu dropped me off at work today.”

“And?”

“It was weird. Like, he says otherwise, but I felt like it was actually from the kindness of his heart,” Dongwoo said, biting his lip nervously. “Or am I just being idealistic?”

Hoya shook his head and leant back on his chair, letting the air from the AC flap his warehouse uniform against his lean build. “You’re always idealistic. But to be honest, I’m not sure what the big hooha over Sungkyu is up here. Like he’s a dog that bites whenever you get too close. Which is true, if Sungkyu was a dog with half his legs broken, teeth shattered, whimpering in pain as life kicks him in—“

“ _Stop_.”

Hoya cleared his throat, “Okay, um, sorry. Anyway, I don’t see what the big deal is honestly. I understand why people would be embarrassed to be seen with him, but not for the reasons everyone probably thinks. If he was as much of an asshole as you guys thought, Sungyeol wouldn’t even be in this country anymore.”

They both simultaneously turned towards the aforementioned, who was standing in front of the photocopier rubbing his hands in glee. When asked why he felt the need to hog the office supplies, Sungyeol had responded that he’d gotten hold of Sungkyu’s yearbook picture (laden with braces, acne, and an impossibly tragic cornrow) and felt it his civil duty to make multiple copies to pass out.

“Point taken,” Dongwoo acknowledged.

After work, a good ten minutes after everyone had cleared out of the Office, Dongwoo loitered around the lobby, not really sure what the fuck he thought he was doing. Maybe Woohyun was right, maybe he was an emotional slut and—

The ding of the elevator is what brought him back to reality, and he swallowed as Sungkyu stepped out of the small booth struggling with his briefcase and tie.

“Dongwoo? Do you need another ride home?” Sungkyu asked, looking up and furrowing his eyebrows.

Dongwoo shook his head. “Um no, just running a little behind time,” he explained.

Sungkyu nodded, successfully clasping his briefcase shut and emitting a sigh of content. He fixed his blazer and walked past Dongwoo, bidding him a good day before pushing the revolving doors.

Overdue as they were, Dongwoo’s cognitive gears started turning.

“Um, Sungkyu!” he called, fighting the urge to not recoil when Sungkyu turned to look at him.

“Yes?” Sungkyu raised an eyebrow.

“Um, coffee? Uh, on the weekend. The end of the week. Meaning Saturday or Sunday, um.” Dongwoo proposed, cringing at his lack of eloquence.

“What?” Sungkyu crinkled his forehead.

“Coffee. Me and you. This weekend. Or next weekend. Whenever is good. I don’t mind. I can fill in—“

“How’s this Saturday?” Sungkyu interrupted, finally catching on Dongwoo’s inarticulate drift.

“Saturday. This Saturday is good,” Dongwoo nodded. Yes. Saturday. This. Good.

Dongwoo in all honesty did not expect any kind of acceptance on Sungkyu’s part, so he just waved dumbly when the latter nodded and exited through the revolving doors without looking back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was a few months ago though, but the routine hadn’t changed and Dongwoo still waits for Sungkyu in the lobby after everyone else has already left. Now however, Sungkyu isn’t surprised to see Dongwoo leaning against the coffee bar, idly trying to match the movement of his head with the second hand of the clock.

“Karaoke?” Sungkyu proposes, pulling his coat tighter around himself as Dongwoo follows him out to the car park.

“Like a date?” Dongwoo asks, skipping ahead and kicking a small rock in his path.

It’s a bit sad, he thinks, that they have to clarify this. It’s been several months and Dongwoo doesn’t exactly have high expectations, but Sungkyu is kind of mediocre as a sort-of-boyfriend. One too many times had Dongwoo arrived at Sungkyu’s house wearing his best cologne and carrying a glass of wine only to find Sungkyu sporting a clean business suit surrounded by possible investors. That’s supposedly the downside of office relationships, but when he’d relayed the stories to Woohyun and Hoya they’d both snorted and assured him that, no, Sungkyu is just incompetent.

Woohyun also took the liberty to point out “At least you kind of have dates. The only dates I had with him were study dates, and he’d always blame me for the fact my test results were still piss poor. But you know what? It takes two to get completely distracted from Business textbooks and get it on.”

Dongwoo grimaces. Him and Sungkyu haven’t even kissed yet.

“Yep, a date.” Sungkyu promises, waving a hand in front of Dongwoo’s face.

“Are you sure…” Dongwoo trails off apprehensively.

Sungkyu looks slightly sheepish, and he ruffles Dongwoo’s hair when he replies, “Yes, yes. I promise this time. No investors, no family members, no possible clients—“

“No mafia,” Dongwoo prompts, thinning his lips at the memory.

“Yes. No mafia.” Sungkyu assures.

Dongwoo nods, slightly conciliated. “Alright then, we’ll meet there are six?”

“Seven,” Sungkyu says, unlocking his car, “I need to send off some things back to corporate first.”

“Cool,” Dongwoo agrees, “See ya.” He turns to leave, but Sungkyu grabs his wrist and pulls him back.

“Hey, I know I haven’t been that great at anything,” Sungkyu admits, squeezing Dongwoo’s hands, “but…. Okay, there are no buts. Just know that I am very self-aware about my, uh, shortcomings...”

Dongwoo laughs. “Nah, it’s fine.”

Sungkyu shakes his head, “I’m only saying this once, but I feel bad that you have to date me and constantly fear the scrutiny if any of those kids from work find out. And yet, don't get anything out of this relationship that's worth it.”

Dongwoo feels a blush flare up his neck. “What? No! I mean, seriously. I’m the one who asked you out. Don’t worry about anything. I used to think you were a total pretentious douchebag before, but now it’s different. I like you.”

The sun was setting and casts an orange glow onto them. Sungkyu smiles fondly at Dongwoo, and it serves as one of his biweekly reminders that this wasn’t a completely one-sided relationship.

“No,” Sungkyu states, “I am very much a pretentious douchebag. Just not to you, since I like you.” he grins.

“I know.” Dongwoo assures, playing with Sungkyu’s fingers. “Obviously not as much as Woohyun though.”

Whoops. That hadn’t meant to come out.

Sungkyu untwines their fingers and drops Dongwoo’s hand. “What?” he demands.

“Um, nothing,” Dongwoo squeaks, pulling at his tie anxiously, “nothing. Just stupid stuff I shouldn’t get bothered over.” He looks away to avoid eye contact, but Sungkyu catches the blush over the apples of Dongwoo’s cheeks and the way he insecurely licks his lips and puts the pieces together.

Sungkyu sighs. “Seriously?” He shakes his head. “Woohyun is an obnoxious asshole.”

Dongwoo chances some eye contact and—nope. Too much shame. He settles for ogling the ash stained asphalt beneath him. “So it’s not true? You guys didn’t have study dates that went on extreme tangents from the assigned material?”

“Uh… No, that’s definitely true. But I was ripe into my twenties, away from home, desperate for connection, and in college surrounded by testosterone fuelled frat boys.” It’s now Sungkyu’s turn to look rightly embarrassed as he fiddles with his tie. “Either way Woohyun is an obnoxious asshole. Who brags about something like that five years later? Between you and me, he’s overrated in bed.”

“This isn’t really comforting.” Dongwoo murmurs. “But who cares, I’m being stupid.”

Sungkyu looks sincerely apologetic, despite Dongwoo’s attempts to smile brightly and confirm their seven o’clock karaoke rendezvous. He was never, ever, going to be anything close to a great boyfriend, but he could try.

He puts an arm around Dongwoo’s neck and pulls him closer, cutting off the latter’s verbal diarrhoea and giving him a pointed look. Dongwoo swallows, staring into Sungkyu’s eyes expectantly as he was brought closer, the orange horizon igniting flames in Sungkyu’s irises.

Truth be told, he wanted their first to be somewhere better than a car park, but he feels Sungkyu’s breath mix with his and he decides he can afford not be picky. He shivers when he feels soft lips ghost over his cheeks and—

_Ow._

“Ow, ow, ow. Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!!” Dongwoo shrieks, flailing as Sungkyu chomps on his ear. Yes, chomps. Not sexy nibbling or whatever. Sungkyu was chewing on Dongwoo’s ear like it was cottage cheese or something. Cottage cheese. The un-sexiest cheese of all.

Sungkyu finally releases Dongwoo’s ear from between his teeth and smirks smugly.

“What the fuck?” Dongwoo whines, stomping the ground.

“I’m setting my standards low. So when the right moment comes, I can impress you.” Sungkyu explains

“I can assure you that you’ve already set the standards pretty low without the need for vore.” Dongwoo rubs at the offended appendage.

Sungkyu chuckles. “I’ll see you at seven.”

 

 

 

 

 

Karaoke is pretty great, even if Dongwoo misses some notes and sometimes Sungkyu interrupts him in the middle of a song to show him how to sing it properly. Luckily, Dongwoo loves the sound of Sungkyu’s voice almost as much as Sungkyu does, so he tolerates it. There are small touches, and wide grins, and drinks, and it actually feels like an intimate date, which to Dongwoo is enough.

Sungkyu does try and kiss him when he drops Dongwoo home – and it’s pretty lame. He misses. Like, completely misses. Trips over and lands face first onto Dongwoo’s front lawn.

“Urgh...” Sungkyu groans, lying on Dongwoo’s couch and holding an icepack to his forehead. “That definitely wasn’t the right time. Maybe when we get married.”

Dongwoo almost slams the freezer door onto his fingers. “What?” he asks.

Sungkyu seems to realise what he’d just said and instead busies himself with looking for the television remote. “Nothing. Um, what’s on TV tonight?” He trips over the carpet in his endeavour, but catches himself on the couch and Dongwoo can see just how flustered he looks.

Dongwoo smiles to himself. It’s aright. They have all the time in the world to work on it.

 

 

 


End file.
